A Scarecrow in the Storm - Part 2
by NoBirdWithintheCage
Summary: Arashi is now a ninja, but to her dismay she's teamed with the two boys she hated the most as a child. To make matters worse, her sensei is none other than Morino Ibiki, sadist extraordinaire. Follow her story as she comes to terms with being a shinobi, the drama that is her squad, her complicated friendship with Itachi in which lines blur, and her struggle to become a Chuunin.
1. Chapter 1

**Genin**

This takes place roughly five years after the ending of part 1! Also, yes, I know the title lacks creativity, but blah! I was at odds with what I wanted to call part 2, but I know that I want 3 and 4 to continue under the same title, so this leg in her life retained "A Scarecrow in the Storm" by default. Sorry about this taking so long. For some reason I had terrible writer's block. At the very least it's a sizeable chapter. The next one should be out much quicker. :)

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><p>As a side note, I think I'll include the name of one or two of the songs that I listen to while writing every chapter.<p>

At the end of this chapter I finished it while listening to the song "Lil Red Riding Hood" – I stumbled across it while bored and it's admittedly something I normally don't listen to. It's an older song and some of the covers are pleasant.

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><p><strong>Chapter Summary:<strong> _In which Arashi meets her new team and gets man handled. Itachi is ravenously hungry and she's pretty sure they're only friends because he secretly finds her existence to be hilarious._

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><p><strong>Genin<strong>

To Arashi, becoming a ninja was just another step in life. For as long as she could remember she had been preparing herself for the day that she would don her hitai-ate and look upon her Genin squad for the first time. There was nothing she wanted more than to be a medical ninja skilled enough to mend the wounds of her comrades and guard the lives of anyone who carried the Will of Fire. Countless nights she stared at her ceiling in bed and wondered who her Sensei would be.

What she had not expected was to be thoroughly pissed off when the day finally came.

Aburame Akio sat on a stool to her left, hunched over like a gargoyle. Like most of his clan, he had an aversion to revealing his body. He wore a gray coat that extended down to his knees that also had a hood he kept pulled over his head. Underneath, he wore a shirt – or at least Arashi _hoped_ he was wearing a shirt – and lastly he covered his bottom half with a blue pair of pants. She was almost surprised that he wore standard sandals since they revealed some skin. Now that he was out of the Academy, he wore his hitai-ate on his forehead.

His face was contorted into a disgruntled scowl and despite his sunglasses; she knew he was glaring at her. She had a hunch that he was sending all of the bad vibes he could generate in her direction. The boy had never recovered from her rampage in the playground.

To her left was Kurama Daisuke on an identical stool. He examined his two teammates with a look of disappointment – _deep_-_rooted_, _resentful_ disappointment – before he sniffed in distaste and dropped any attempt to veil his disfavor. Ever since she planted the trap that made his paint explode he had been bitter. She never knew a guy would hold a grudge like Daisuke did. In nature, he was flamboyant, but one would not be able to tell from his choice of clothing. His arms were wrapped in bandages, his shirt was blue, and he wore a pair of tan shorts. He chose to tie his hitai-ate around his neck.

Arashi had grown somewhat in height since she was six, but not much else had changed for her. At age eleven she had not expected much, anyway. She wore a purple tank top, brown shorts, a pair of purple gloves, and brown boots that ended under her knees. Her long hair was kept out of her face by her hitai-ate. In response to her situation, she had her arms folded across her chest and her nose was held up in the air.

In front of them was their sensei. He was a tall man with tanned skin, and dark eyes. His face was marred by several scars. He wore a black trench coat, a gray button-up shirt, gloves, and a bandana-like cloth covered the top of his head.

They were in the interrogation ward and had been there for a while. All of the colors were washed out and even though she could sense people moving through the building like a hive, none had come down the hallway they were seated in. He had said nothing, not even his name. All he had done so far was lead them there and then watch them. There was something about the cold, calculating gaze that bothered Arashi and as time passed she realized that the rest of her team was unnerved by it, as well.

She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose – her eyesight was a disappointment in her life – and checked the time. She frowned and regarded the man again. It was quiet in the room and every tick of the clock made her feel tenser.

It was like he was weighing their worth as students by just looking at them.

Arashi glanced to her left at Daisuke, to her right at Akio, and then forward at her sensei again. Daisuke would sit in silence until he was spoken to first, because that was just how he functioned when dealing with someone he did not know. Akio was a guy of few words. Short of his bullying stints, few had ever heard him speak more than necessary. The Jounin in front of them appeared to be content with silence.

Arashi, on the other hand, was not. Out of her entire graduating class, she was the most curious. She had a knack for sticking her nose into anything that interested her. Fortunately, her interests were few. Unfortunately, the tall, dark, and not-so-handsome man in front of her had managed to place himself on her interest list.

The man's black eyes settled on her and she held his stare. It was like he was taking her apart and piecing her back together, gauging her stare against his. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, but she knew if she backed down he would acknowledge it. If that happened, he would see it as a sign of weakness and she would rather bite her own finger off than let his first impression of her be that.

Arashi continued to watch him watch her and she focused on his chakra. She could not always decipher a person's emotions from the flow of their essence, but if she was close enough and she focused hard enough, then she could get impressions from a target. This man was pleased. It was not an overwhelming sensation, nor was it the type of pleased that was good, but the type that was tinged with something darker. Her throat tightened.

She was done with this man's silence.

She swallowed over the lump in her throat before she spoke, "Is there a reason why we're in the interrogation ward? Is this where you're usually active?"

The man exhaled a short laugh through his nose, "It's about time one of you started asking questions."

If it was possible, the three Academy graduates frowned deeper than they were before.

"Fresh out of the Academy, going along with a man that hasn't even mentioned his name like you don't have a care in the world. You think you have what it takes to be ninja?" His voice was deep and cold. "Being a shinobi is not just about knowing dangerous techniques, or being the fastest, or the most proficient in weapons. It's about asking the right questions, getting the right information, and holding onto that information in order to use it to its fullest power."

Arashi uncrossed her arms. Akio's attention shifted from her to their sensei.

"Well, if you want questions," Daisuke's amber eyes narrowed in amusement, "Should we exchange names, hobbies, aspirations, or," he leaned forward, "Are you going to stop playing with us and get this test going?"

_A name would be nice,_ Arashi thought to herself.

"We'll get to my test briefly. I'm a busy man, so I don't plan on dragging this out too long." He replied. "My name is Morino Ibiki. Now, tell me your name, your strength, and your greatest weakness."

The Genin remained quiet.

"Unless you want to go straight back to the Academy now, then you'll start answering." He pointed to Arashi, "You, first."

"My name is Ran Arashi, my strength is ninjutsu, my weakness is, well, uh," she bristled at the last word, "genjutsu."

Ibiki arched an eyebrow. She knew that he had read her file. All of her instructors had tried to push her toward it because of her intelligence and chakra control. Everything should have fit together in theory.

"I'm useless at creating illusions." She explained tensely. "Trust me. I just am."

He crossed his arms and nodded toward Daisuke, "Now, you."

"Kurama Daisuke. I'm a genjutsu type. Been that way my whole life. My weakness? Taijutsu, I guess, but I never planned on being one of those shinobi, honestly."

Ibiki regarded Akio, "Alright. The last one."

"Aburame Akio. My kikaichu and my family's techinques." He shrugged. "My pride."

"Very self-aware of you," Ibiki snorted. "Give me another weakness that isn't a character flaw."

_Another flaw? He didn't specify, so wouldn't that count? Why isn't he reciprocating with information, anyway? _She resisted the urge to chew on her lip.

Akio opened his mouth, but Arashi interrupted him, "Does he have to? He gave a weakness that could be way worse than lacking aptitude in a field. Why don't you give us one of your weaknesses and we'll give you another of ours?"

Ibiki took several steps toward her and leaned forward until she could feel his breath, "You want to know my weakness?"

"Uh, yes?" she clutched her seat.

He placed his hands on both of her shoulders. Her entire body tensed. She opened her mouth to protest, but before the words left her tongue he pushed her back, stool screeching across the floor, until her back came into contact with the wall. Akio and Daisuke jumped to their feet, but hesitated. From her peripheral vision she could see Daisuke's mouth opening and closing like he could not believe what was happening. Akio, on the other hand, had a smirk on his face that made her want to slap him.

"Others tried to figure out my weakness, as well." He released one of her shoulders and pulled the bandana off his head. "They never found it."

Arashi's stomach twisted itself into a knot. Not only did he have a couple deep scars on his face, but his scalp was a mass of scar tissue. There were holes drilled into his head that never fully healed, as well as burns, and cuts. It was so severe that hair no longer grew anywhere on his head. Her imagination danced around ideas and images of what the tortures must have been like, until it was hard for her to breathe.

_Did the burns come first or did they drill into his head as a first priority? Perhaps the burning was a method to cauterize some of the wounds?_ She was not sure, but she could not look away. All that existed was a dark room, shadows of people she did not know, voices that made her skin crawl, and acts of cruelty that went against everything in her nature.

"Hey! Let Shi-Shi-chan go!" Daisuke's voice was distant to her.

Drill. Cut. Burn. Drill. Cut. Burn. Drill. Cut. Burn.

_Shi-shi-chan?_ She wondered and tried to pull herself away from the trance she was in. _He hasn't called me that in years._

"You drop that genjutsu right now!" His amber eyes flashed in anger and he pulled a kunai from a pouch, "You heard me! She only asked a question!"

Daisuke lunged at their sensei. Ibiki's hand flew from her shoulder and covered both her mouth and nose. His other hand caught the boy's wrist and he twisted it behind the Genin's back without releasing Arashi. She started to grab one of her own kunai, but he slammed her head against the wall. It dazed her enough that she dropped the weapon and it clattered uselessly on the floor.

She could not breathe. Dots were forming in her vision and her senses were raging.

A droning buzz filled the air. Ibiki released Arashi, twisted Daisuke's other arm behind his back and turned to use him as a shield. The girl snatched her weapon off the ground and stepped behind Akio. The Aburame was covered in bugs and dozens had taken flight.

The only thing that kept the insects from going after the Jounin was the kunai that was pressed against Daisuke's throat.

Arashi felt the damage done to the back of her head with her right hand and frowned. She was bleeding and there was a sizeable knot, but that was the least of their problems. Their psychotic Sensei had one of them as a hostage.

She struggled to remain calm. Akio was tense, like a rubber-band stretched too thin and it was only a matter of time before he would snap. She had been in stressful situations before, but a person's life really was on the line on those occasions. Her father had taken her under his wing as an apprentice of sorts after Minato and Kushina had died. If working in a hospital and holding a person's life in her hands had taught her anything, it was to not panic. Panic meant failure and failure meant death.

_Besides,_ she thought, _He's playing this up, but he's not going to kill any of us. Right?_

She released a breath she did not realize she had been holding, "Let him go. Your movement is limited with a hostage and you're facing two opponents." She held her hand out and waved toward the swarm, "And if these get a hold of you, it's trouble. I mean, they might not be the nastiest stuff the Aburame have up their, uhh, _sleeves_, but they'll suck you dry."

"Make a move and he will die." Ibiki replied and pressed the blade against his neck until a dot of blood appeared.

"No, you won't kill him." Arashi was proud that her voice did not waiver. "You won't kill any of us."

As a show of how unconcerned she was, she focused her chakra to her hand until it glowed green and closed the gash on the back of her head. In reality her heart was drumming against her ribs so hard that it was hard for her to breathe.

"Look, I know you're using our weaknesses against us," Daisuke ground out through his teeth. "But, this test totally sucks. Either fail us or pass us already."

"If you fail then you will probably never become Genin. Making the cut is hard for anyone and I'm a particularly strict man." He replied. "What would you do then with your lives? A little girl who dreamed so long to become a kunoichi that she doesn't know anything else? A boy that direly wants to follow in his deceased father's footprints at any cost? A member of the Aburame clan that just couldn't cut it? If you don't make it today, you're as good as nothing."

Arashi watched a fit of raw emotion flicker across Daisuke's face, but it was quickly replaced by annoyance.

_Deceased?_ She remembered seeing his father walk him to the Academy when they were six. _When did he..?_

The bugs surrounding Akio began to fly around more erratically as his irritation flared.

"I have a proposition. How much do your aspirations mean to you? Do they mean more than one of the members of your newly formed team?" Ibiki continued.

For the second time that evening, Akio spoke, "What kind of proposition?"

"I'll take two of you as a student and the third I'll send back to the Academy. It's up to the three of you to decide who passes and who fails."

"No way!" Arashi huffed. "We are put into groups of three for a reason. To lose a teammate would defeat the purpose!"

"Well," Ibiki chuckled. "Seems like she's volunteering herself."

Her heart dislodged itself and fell into her stomach. Her chance at being a ninja was now riding on the mercies of two boys that hated her. The memory of tearing Akio's hair out flashed in front of her eyes, just as the sound of Daisuke screaming over his paint echoed in her ears. She would never forget how effeminate it sounded, nor would she forget Kakashi's hand wrapped around her own after the ordeal.

_Kakashi._ She had not spoken to him in five years. The thought made her sad.

Arashi blinked and disregarded her momentary melancholy. The truth was that she was _screwed._

Daisuke exchanged a look with Akio. It was like they were coming to a joint decision in those seconds. Arashi's heart dislodged itself from her stomach and fell to her knee. These guys had no reason to want her on their team – not that they cared for each other, either, but at least they had no old grudges between them – whereas she had went out of her way to snub them. She was going to be a useful medic ninja, feared and loved by all someday, after all. Now it was seemingly up to them whether or not she even was going to make Genin.

The irony made her want to swallow her own tongue.

"Um, nah." Daisuke finally decided. "She might be a spoiled, girly, snobbish twat, but no."

Arashi glared at him.

"Member swaps are up to Hokage-sama." Akio murmured. "I'd take anyone else, but this is what I'm assigned to."

Arashi glared at both of her teammates, "I'm not exactly enthused about being with you guys, either."

"Well," he smirked, "I'm almost surprised to see the three of you sticking up for each other. From the way you were acting I thought you'd happily throw each other to the wolves. Despite your own agendas, you choose to stay together and support each other? Those are values I respect."

Ibiki laughed and an expression of amusement lit up his face. That was something Arashi did not think was possible. He released Daisuke and shoved him toward his teammates. She pulled him behind Akio where she dabbed the blood away from his neck and mended the wound, even though she wanted to let him bleed for a while because of his comments.

"Alright, sit back down." The Jounin ordered.

The three Academy graduates grabbed the stools and sat, but this time they were closer to each other and their general aura of distaste was now directed at the man in front of them. Ibiki returned his bandana to its place and leaned against the wall. An amused smirk was still on his lips as he looked at the disgruntled children.

His eyes settled on Daisuke, "The genjutsu user was the first to attack, but he used a _kunai_ at close range instead of opting for a long ranged attack? All for your _Shi-Shi-chan_?"

"It wasn't right for you to man handle her." The boy sniffed and looked away.

"Because Arashi's a girl? You know in this world that gender means nothing. Men, women, the old, or the young; none of it matters. We fight, we die."

"Look, I don't give a snot about chicks from different countries. They can take a dive off a cliff for all I care, but I get worked up when I see someone abuse a girl from my village, alright? Am I not supposed to care about these people? I mean, I'm probably gonna die for them."

Ibiki snorted, "Well, then, how about your aspirations."

"I want to serve this place." He shrugged. "Like my parents."

"A patriot, then?" Ibiki's eyes shifted over to Akio, "What about you? What exactly is your aspiration?"

"To make my family proud and to have a purpose, Sensei," Akio replied.

"And you, girl, what is your reason?"

She frowned, "Bu-"

"If you try to bargain with me, I'll knock your head against the wall again."

She leaned back and her fingers tightened around the kunai she had yet to put away, "Uh, err, I want to help people in any way I can."

He went back to watching them. Any and every movement they made was noted. Arashi started to chew on her lip, but stopped when she realized what she was doing. Fidgeting in front of this man was hard to not do. Daisuke's hand twitched – it usually did when he wanted to draw or paint. It was a coping mechanism for him. Akio was once again perched like a gargoyle and seemed impassive.

After what seemed like an eternity, he spoke, "I suppose I'll take you all on, but remember, from this day on you're no longer who you were. You're soldiers now and your lives belong to this hidden village." He walked over to a door and opened it, "Now, I'd like to show you a little of what I do. I'm a very busy man and I'd like you to understand what it is that takes up so much of my time."

"But, wait, what kind of test was that?" Daisuke jumped off his stool. "I mean, you roughed us up a little and asked us a couple questions."

For fear of having her head bashed against a wall, Arashi opted to remain quiet.

"Unlike the other Sensei, I don't need elaborate tests to get inside the heads of children." He explained. "While most take their students to a training ground and have a sparring match with them, I hardly think that is a suitable test. If you weren't physically capable, then you would not have made it out of the Academy. Now, shut up, and come on."

When he stepped inside, the three Genin looked at each other and sneered.

Daisuke's eyes settled on the kunai in Arashi's hand, "Aww! Shi-Shi-chan, it's touching that you were ready to help me out, but that blade doesn't look blunted and we all know that if your mommy hadn't insisted, then you'd have no fingers by now."

She opened her mouth to protest with something along the lines of not being inept, but nothing suitable came to mind. Perhaps it was the stress of dealing with Ibiki, but she felt like she was in a mental fog. She crossed her arms, huffed, and looked away instead.

Akio snickered and followed after their sensei. Arashi wanted to crawl under a rock and die. Her heart fell from her knee and stopped at her ankle. She had passed, but now she was on a team with her two least favorite people.

_So. Not. Fair._

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><p>When Ibiki dismissed their team, she could not get away fast enough. It turned out that her Sensei was head of the ANBU's interrogation squad, which entailed torture. For the past hour he went through a plethora of tools – things that she wanted nowhere near her body in any way – and referred to them as child's play.<p>

_Child's play,_ she huffed. _Such a freak._

A crow flew by her face and landed on a clothes line above her head. She tilted her head back and grinned. It cocked its head to the side and looked down at her. Although many people viewed crows as being a bad omen or as an unclean bird, she liked them. When she thought of them, she always thought of what she read about their family system. They mated for life and often times their offspring would stay around and help rear the next batch of chicks. Crows were intelligent, loyal, misunderstood and she liked them.

Most of all, the sight of one made her think of onigiri and juice.

It ruffled its feathers and cawed at her several times before it took flight and circled her. The street she was on was mostly empty, but the few people that were passing by gave the girl and the bird an odd look. Even though it looked strange, it was not out of the ordinary to see birds of all sorts in Konoha and they were often delivering messages.

"Alright, alright, I get it." She murmured. "I'll follow you. Now go on."

The crow led her to a traditional café and parted paths with her. Near the entrance stood Arashi's oldest friend, watching her with a curve to his lips. He had grown somewhat in height, and his expressive eyes had taken on a more passive set. The tear duct lines beside his nose had deepened and elongated an inch or so, but at the age of ten he was still youthful and appeared far too young to be a chuunin. His black hair was tied back and he was wearing casual attire that many members of the Uchiha clan wore.

Arashi never quite understood their obsession with off the wall collars on their shirts – they looked awful to her – but it made it easier to spot an Uchiha, so she figured that was likely one of the reasons behind it. They were a proud clan, after all.

"Arashi-chan." He greeted.

"Itachi-kun, you never eat dinner at home, do you?"

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><p>"The Hokage has gone senile."<p>

Itachi arched an eyebrow and swallowed his food, "He seemed well earlier today."

"Trust me. It's official. He's lost it."

"Oh?"

"He teamed me with Akio and Daisuke." She rested her face in her hands and groaned. "I mean, really!"

"Ahh," he breathed, "I see. The boys you attacked after we met."

"_Attacked?_ Please!" She lifted her head and glowered at him. "Little, manipulative, five year old you totally put me up to it. Besides, they deserved more than what they got."

"Is that so?" His other eyebrow rose next to the other one. "I'm a pacifist."

"Mhm. Be that way, Uchiha-san." She huffed. "I just don't know how this is going to work out. Our teacher in the Academy made sure we never worked together during anything because of how much we hated each other."

Itachi hummed in acknowledgement while chewing on some cabbage.

"To beat it all, our new Sensei bashed my head against the wall and smothered me. I think he passed us just because he liked how miserable we were together."

"In time your squad will find its niche." He replied before taking another bite.

"You're starving aren't you?"

He swallowed the mouthful of rice without chewing, "Sorry. I spent most of today training."

"So," she picked at her own food, "You're going to go through with enrolling with ANBU?"

"Yes."

"Is that what you want to do?"

"It would please my father and it would help strengthen bonds between my clan and Konoha." He replied, matter-of-factly.

"I see." She frowned. "It's what your dad wants."

"I don't mind." He grinned. "You have nothing to worry about."

"As long as you're happy."

They lapsed into silence. Arashi picked at her food, but her appetite was off on an adventure somewhere else. Itachi, on the other hand, was working through his food like he had not eaten in days, but he still managed to seem refined and disciplined as he did so. He seemed much older than his age, even to her. When she looked at him, she saw the next head of the Uchiha clan. She never could keep up with him, no matter how hard she tried. He really was the type of prodigy that only comes around once every generation.

She knew his father spent much of his time grooming him into a shinobi and a future leader. The sheer amount of responsibility that was pushed at the boy made her uncomfortable. Her parents were loving to say the least, sometimes to a fault. Every time she met Fugaku he was stern and distant. It gave her the impression that it was a cold household, but she tried to counter that thought. Mikoto was a warm person, even if she was quiet. That was likely where Itachi got his caring streak from.

She sighed.

Despite everything, her friend was concerned about his clan and Konoha, whereas she was whining about her team. When she compared herself to this boy, she felt very selfish.

_No reason I ended up on such a screwed up team. Akio always got whatever he wanted by being a bully, Daisuke would lie and act all charming, and here I am totally selfish and—_

"Wait a second!" Her eyes widened and she sat straight up, "We're assigned to Ibiki because the Hokage and our teachers thought we were all selfish, manipulative _brats_!"

Itachi looked at her over his cup of tea and swallowed.

"We were so bad in the Academy that they put us under someone that tortures people." Her face was pale. "Like, did they think no one else would take us on as students? Or is this their way of getting back at us?"

Itachi put his cup down and laughed to himself, quietly. He turned his face to the side, but she could see one of his eyes still locked on her. He was laughing at her.

"Oh, I get it. Go on. Laugh at me." She huffed. "That's probably the only reason you still talk to me, huh? Entertainment!"

Any annoyance that she might have felt before was ushered out. Even though she had been friends with him for years, out-right laughter from him was something she had only heard a handful of times before. All of those times his laughter was directed at her, as well. It made his signature blaze and in seconds she was back to digging at her food. She was friends with a gentle flame that was very special. There was no doubt in her mind that he would go on to do amazing things in his life. Being near him helped her look at things more logically and that made her happy.

Once Itachi was finished with his meal, he stood, "I've already paid for everything."

"What? Oh, seriously, you shouldn't have."

He reached across the table and flicked her nose.

She jerked back and covered the stinging area, "I _hate_ it when you do that!"

"Congratulations on becoming a Genin, Arashi-chan." He smiled.

"Thanks." She rubbed her nose. "For the food and everything, too."

"You should go home and let your family know. They'll be happy for you and I'm sure they want to know how everything went."

"Yeah," she winked at him, "And I'm sure Sasuke wants to badger you about playing and training, huh?"

"He's a good little brother."

With that, he left.

_Well, tomorrow I go on my first mission. Crazy._

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><p>Alright, that's chapter one. Thanks for reading! If you have any thoughts, opinions, suggestions, or criticisms be sure to share them in a review. I love all forms of input!<p>

Next chapter will be her first mission and an encounter with young Naruto. :)


	2. An Old Client and a Young Uzumaki

**Chapter 2: An Old Client and a Young Uzumaki**

**Chapter Summary:** _In which Arashi goes on her first mission and is given a unique weapon to wield until the task is done. Later, she comes face to face with none other than Uzumaki Naruto._

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><p>Songs: Oingo Boingo – No One Lives Forever. Regina Spektor – Blue Lips<p>

**DarkNexus4050:** I would just like to say that you are lovely and I appreciate your support! 3

I apologize for the first half of this chapter. It feels terribly like filler and I did not enjoy writing it, but I wanted to show her first mission since it felt like a landmark. D Ranked missions will not be written in detail from now on. That would be just awful.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Arashi glared, blearily, at her alarm as it blared at her from across the room.

"Arashi-chan, sweetie, it's time for you to get up! Your first mission is today!" Naomi's sing-song voice called through the closed door.

"Trust me, mom, I know!" Arashi grumbled.

"Breakfast will be ready after you're dressed."

The kunoichi untangled herself from her blanket and sheet and shuffled to her closet. Her room was sizeable compared to most living spaces in Konoha. Her parents were wealthy after years of dedicated working and had purchased a large home in hopes of having a big family. To their dismay, they struggled to have children and thus they adopted Arashi. They promptly spoiled her and gave her the second nicest room in the house.

There was a bookshelf packed full of books, scrolls, and documents beside her door, a bed, a floor length mirror in the corner, a chest of drawers, and two nightstands. There was a walk-in closet and beside the mirror was a door that led into her personal bathroom.

She turned her alarm off, got dressed, applied some lotion to her face as well as a gloss to her lips, and stared at her room. The amalgamation of yellows, greens, and purples did nothing to jog her memory, so she closed her eyes and tried to think.

_What should I pack for my first mission?_

She strapped on a medical pouch, a kunai pouch, and she pulled a dusty shuriken holster from underneath her bed to strap on. Arashi was not overly fond of using weapons, which had vexed every instructor at the Academy until they saw red, but it was the truth. She knew how to use them, but she was not particularly skilled.

Daisuke's comment about blunted blades being the only reason she still had fingers was probably true.

Arashi pushed her glasses up her nose and made her bed before she left the room. She was not a morning person, but there was no escaping it until she was probably a Chuunin at least. She closed the door behind her and turned down the hall and ambled toward the staircase. She could hear her family bantering downstairs and a pang of fondness brought a more cheerful bounce to her step.

She skipped the last two stairs and headed directly to the kitchen. Her mother was already washing dishes while her father looked over a scroll. She opened her mouth to greet her family, but a ball of brown hair and energy rammed into her.

"_Kazika!"_ She squealed, but managed to regain her balance.

"Sis! Sis!" He chanted. "Ninja! Ninja! I wanna be a ninja!"

Kazika was her brother. He was three years old. When her mother announced her surprise pregnancy, Arashi had been furious. The girl had begged relentlessly for her parents to adopt Naruto, but her pleas had fallen on deaf ears. She later realized that Kushina and Minato's son had been placed in a foster home for close watching in order to protect him from anyone making a rash decision because of the Kyuubi, but at the time she was blinded by outrage. In fact, she had been such a brat that her mother broke down in tears.

_"__What happened to my angel?"_ Her mother had wept. _"You were so good for Kushina when she was pregnant!"_

It was a sobering experience for Arashi. There were no more tantrums from the girl. Instead, she went out of her way to be more thoughtful.

"You're too young to be a ninja, Kazika." She dragged the boy back to his seat at the table.

Ookami stood and embraced his daughter, "My little kunoichi. Growing up on me."

"This is just the first step, Dad." She hugged him back.

"Oh, I know, but try not to grow up too fast." He pulled back and held her by the shoulders. "Also, I expect to still see you at the hospital, even if it's not as often. Being a medical ninja takes dedication and as you grow with skill, I'll be able to show you some tricks that will save lives, alright?"

"Oh, daddy," She beamed, "I'm always going to be your second shadow."

Ookami's chest swelled with pride. Naomi chuckled to herself. That man had been wrapped around her finger since the day he met her.

"Eat some breakfast before your mission!" Her mother called over her shoulder. "What would your team think of you if you fainted from low sugar or something? Mhm, you'd be the joke of the team, now wouldn't you?"

The middle aged woman turned to set her eyes on the Genin. Her lips pursed and her eyebrows knit together. Arashi knew that expression all too well. It was the one her mother got when she had a _feeling_ that something was going to happen. While most mothers were paranoid about many things, Naomi rarely fussed over anything, but when she did it was uncanny. Naomi did not have worries, she had premonitions.

At least, that was what her family and friends decided.

Arashi snatched up a piece of toast and chewed on it, even though she was not hungry that morning. Her mother would sooner follow her through the streets and nag her to eat than let her go without breakfast. It was endearing and annoying at the same time.

"Look! Sis! Look! Look!" Kazika chirped.

She looked down to see the boy blowing snot bubbles in her direction. He was a spitting image of his father, but in smaller proportions. Some people would have found it hilarious to see Ookami, disciplined and reserved, as he watched his son make snot bubbles – especially when he continued to scan the scroll as the bubbles burst in audible pops.

Pop, pop. Pop, pop.

"Just eww, Kazika. Don't do that." She cringed and walked out of the kitchen, but the child followed her popping all the way. "Time and a place, kid, and for this stuff it's nowhere and never."

Pop, pop, pop.

"Stop following me," she hissed.

Pop, pop, pop.

"Seriously, just stop or I'll sit on you."

Their eyes narrowed and they stared each other down. Her hands twitched in anticipation.

Pop.

She grabbed a tissue and pinned him to the ground in a rush of movement.

"_Mommy!_" the boy shrieked.

She smothered his pleas for help and wiped the snot off his face. He tried to fight, but she was done before he could get loose. With a look of disgust she stood and disposed of the tissue. She had spent enough time working in the village's hospital to desensitize herself to bodily fluids mostly, but that did not mean she would ever not hate it.

"Well, I'm going, love you all!" She called and ran out.

* * *

><p>Arashi watched the wind tease at Ibiki's trench coat. He marched ahead of her with his lips set into a serious line. Then again, he appeared to be serious in nature, so she decided that was normal for him. To her right was Akio and to her left was Daisuke. She was not sure why they chose to walk that way. She would have preferred if they kept a little more distance from her, but there was a pulse of comfort from their presence despite her distaste for them. This was new to her, as it was to them.<p>

"We are going to treat every mission like it is top priority." Ibiki broke the squad's silence. "Every group has their share of D rank missions to work through. Most kids don't see them for what they can be, but I won't have a single one of you be as inept at taking advantage of opportunities."

"Yes, Sensei." Arashi and Daisuke chorused together.

Akio grunted and nodded.

Arashi knew that D ranked missions were chores and not much else. Her parents sometimes hired Genin squads to do housecleaning or to help around her mother's business during busy months. The elderly used Genin for all sorts of grunt work. Now it was her squad's turn for the dreaded grind.

"Sensei, what are we doing first today?" She mustered the nerve to ask – looking from him to a wall nearby and back.

"Helping an elderly woman with her garden and a few chores." He replied. "And I'd better not see any slacking. Work together, don't fight, and don't mess anything up."

Daisuke snorted and asked, "What's the old broad's name?"

"Chiharo."

"Anything important we should know about her?" The boy pressed, but his tone had a sickeningly sweet undercurrent. "I should be asking, right? _Top priority_? This is a learning exercise, after all."

"Retired Jounin. Loves her cats and her plants more than she cares for people. Apparently someone's been vandalizing her property."

"Alright. So, is she going to direct us once we arrive?" Arashi piped up.

"When she tells you to jump," Ibiki's tone betrayed the smirk on his face. "Just do it."

"What if we don't jump high _enough_?" Arashi asked, unable to resist. "How will I know how high to jump?"

"Sounds like we need to review how to handle high stress situations! All of our Academy training has prepared us for this!" Daisuke joined in.

"I see." Ibiki chuckled, "After this I might take you back to the interrogation ward and show you what it's like to have some of those tools used on your body. I thought I'd hold it off until you were more experienced, but perhaps not."

Their mouths snapped shut.

* * *

><p>Their destination was on the outskirts of the village. A small house stood away from the others with an impressive garden surrounding it. An old woman sat outside on a bench in front of a pond, throwing food to the mouths of gaping fish. An orange cat sat by her left and a black cat sat by her right.<p>

Ibiki stopped by the pond and his squad gathered behind him. She peered up at them and harrumphed. Her face was lined with wrinkles and her dark eyes spoke of a lifetime of trials. She looked to be around sixty years of age. She wore a long dress, an apron, and dirt encrusted gloves. The cats were both unimpressed by the ninjas in front of them, so they continued to watch the fish.

"Team Ibiki reporting."

"About time." The woman stood. "I've got something for your cute little kids to do."

The man nodded and she led them to another part of her garden. Various patches of herbs had been destroyed and garbage was scattered around.

"Some little brat keeps messing with my garden." She pointed at the damage. "I've confronted him, but my hip isn't what it used to be and he manages to get away every time."

Wordlessly, Akio began to gather the trash together. Daisuke shifted from one foot to the other and joined him. Ibiki crossed his arms and looked around at the scene.

"Why would he do something like this?" Arashi mumbled.

"Because he's a git with no brains." The woman seethed. "And I want you kids to track him down and rough him up a bit. Let him know Granny Chiharo means business."

"Uh, how old is he?" Her eyebrows rose in disbelief. "Are we going to have the Police Force on us?"

If there was a chance – even if it was slim – that she would be facing down with Uchiha Fugaku then Arashi would have thrown her hands up and walked away. Itachi was her friend, Mikoto was sweet, Sasuke was a cute boy, but Fugaku was another case. She did not dislike him, but she was put off by him for a few different reasons. She respected him for saving her life when she was six and for the work his squad performed daily in Konoha, but she had the distinct feeling he did not like her. At all.

"Don't worry your pretty little head, sweetie." Chiharo waved her off. "I don't want you to hurt him. Just scuff him up a bit. If he doesn't learn from that, then I'll hire Chuunin. If the message doesn't get through his skull after that, then I'll just put a hit out on him."

All three Genin stared at her.

"Oh, don't look at me that way. You kids have a ways to go! Why, back in my day you'd have already been seasoned killers."

Daisuke and Akio looked toward Ibiki for some form of reassurance but found none.

"The boy's name is Kyo. He's about fifteen, I think." She walked over to the side of her house and snatched up a broom before returning. "I want you to do a good job for me, alright sweetie? Keep them boys in line, that's a kunoichi's special responsibility. Boys take a while to acclimate, so you gotta keep them on their toes, alright?"

If Arashi's eyebrows rose any higher they would have ripped off her face.

"Oh, and I want you to hit him with this." She handed the broom to Arashi.

"Um, what?"

"Now, you hit him real good, alright? If he doesn't get it then I'll have to have him cut into pieces to feed to my fish."

* * *

><p>Once the squad was away from Chiharo's house, the Genin stared at each other in shock.<p>

Ibiki set an eye on them and they went still, "We're going to make sure that kid doesn't set food on her property again."

Akio cleared his throat, "We're going to kill him?"

Arashi and Daisuke fidgeted.

"I look forward to when your brains are done developing." He spoke dryly, "Come here and I'll tell you my plan."

* * *

><p>Arashi followed Akio from rooftop to rooftop. Daisuke was close behind her, but his attention was preoccupied with the sketch book braced in his left arm. He glanced up to make sure he was on course as he added the last touches to his project. She could hardly imagine doing genjutsu normally, but Daisuke used his paintings and drawings as a medium and that was beyond her. Ibiki was right beside the kunoichi. His presence made her anxious, but she tried to not show it. She felt awkward enough as it was.<p>

In her hand was the broom.

"Do I really have to hit this person with her broom, Sensei?" Arashi whispered.

"It's what our client wants." He replied and an amused smirk pulled at his lips. "Her mind has slipped in recent years."

She sighed in defeat.

Akio motioned for them to be quiet and they came to a stop on top of a building. He dropped into a crouch and pointed to the alley beside them. The insects they had been following returned to his hand and crept inside his sleeve.

Ibiki motioned for everyone to move into position.

Their target, Kyo, kicked a can between the two buildings. He was a civilian without a job and nothing better to do with his time that day. With a sigh he turned to walk out of the alley, but came face to face with Akio.

"Stop messing with Chiharo's garden." He pulled his sunglasses off and bugs swarmed out of the sockets and across his eyes.

The fifteen year old paled and turned to run – there were not many civilians that had the stomach to deal with the Aburame – but he did not get far. Daisuke dropped down and cut off his escape. He held up the sketch and quickly performed several hand-seals. Kyo's eyes widened and his course changed drastically. He tripped and staggered a time or two, but the amber eyed boy let him pass by him without any more resistance.

His attempted escape led him to Arashi.

She frowned. She could feel that his chakra was over-ridden by Daisuke's genjutsu and that only made her feel worse for what she was about to do. Despite being older than her, she knew he could not defend himself against her even if he was in his right mind.

"_Arashi_!" Ibiki's called down at her, his tone enough to scold her.

She blinked and swung the broom with all of her might.

A crack resounded through the alley and the wooden shaft splintered apart. The force knocked the boy on his back and broke him out of the illusions plaguing him. His eyes opened and closed and he jerked his head around to look at the shinobi standing around him.

"Aw. You broke the broom. I was just thinking you looked all lovely and domestic." Daisuke leaned forward and teased.

Akio laughed. It was high pitched and broken by several snorts. Arashi might have found this funny if it was not at her expense.

"I hate both of you."

Ibiki looked down at the boy and deadpanned, "Good job. I'll stay and have a chat with our vandal while you report to Chiharo." His eyes settled on the broom and he sighed, "You've broken her favorite broom, though, and with how unstable she's been…"

_She's going to feed me to her fish over a broom._

Their return to the house was quiet. Arashi held the broken broom in her hands and resisted the urge to chew on her lips. If she could not manage to break that habit, then she would not have any left by the time she was a Chuunin.

When Chiharo came into sight, the girl's throat tightened. It was like she was a six year old girl that just broke someone's heirloom. She turned to walk away, but her retreat was foiled.

Akio and Daisuke shoved her forward and she came face to face with the psychotic, senile client.

"I, uhh, I didn't mean to break it." She thrust the two pieces toward Chiharo. "I hit him real good!"

The old woman cackled until she had to bend over and brace her sides.

* * *

><p>To Arashi's horror, the rest of the missions were somehow worse. They walked dogs, cleaned houses, picked up trash in the streets, got groceries as two different missions, and ended it all with a quick run down from Ibiki. They were to meet again the next day for personal training with him before they did a couple more missions.<p>

In all honesty she would rather be on his bad side in an interrogation than do any more missions like the ones they just finished.

_These missions don't even pay well,_ she whined internally.

She cut through a copse of trees and took a deep breath. At the very least she had the rest of the evening and part of the morning to prepare herself mentally for the tedious onslaught. If someone had told her as a new Academy student that she would be dreading "ninja work" this way, then she would have called them a liar.

_Some important medic ninja I am._ She scoffed to herself. _Seriously what kind of-_

She was jerked out of her thoughts by the sound of children yelling. Her thoughts jumped to the worst, but she wheeled them in and ran toward the source. When she got there she saw something that she would never forget.

There were four boys standing around a smaller child. Their ages ranged from approximately six to eight. They all kicked him relentlessly while he shielded his face, but she knew who it was. She would never be unable to recognize this child. She had memorized his signature when he was still in his mother's womb. It was like the wind on a sunny day, but layered deep within was a darkness that scared her if she focused on it.

It was Naruto.

_"You know you'll have to help me look after him when he gets a bit older."_

The fatigue from her busy day was forgotten. She put one foot in front of the other and began to run.

_"Just like a big sister?"_

She pushed one of the boys down and threw another one by his shirt. He landed in a heap on the ground and wailed out in shock. The two younger boys took a step back and stared in disbelief.

_"Just like a big sister."_

The kids scattered and ran.

"Don't you ever touch him again or I'll kill you_, y'know_!" Arashi screeched.

Naruto uncovered his face and stared up at her. At first there was fear in his eyes and then confusion. She went to her knees beside him and he flinched away.

"Shh, Naruto-kun." She whispered in a shaky voice. "Le-let me see you. Did they hurt you?"

His face scrunched up in an expression of distrust.

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you." Arashi assured him and held her hands out. "I'll show you a cool trick my dad taught me to help people."

"A cool trick?" He repeated.

"Yeah. It's pretty cool. Want to see it?"

"Yeah!" He stood and clenched his fists.

"Hold your arms out and let me see."

The boy did as he was told. There were several cuts and bruises covering the limbs, but nothing was severe. For that, she was grateful. What she did not like was how small the boy was. Kazika was not much smaller, but Naruto was two years older than her brother.

"What about the trick?" The boy vibrated with interest.

"Oh, yeah, sorry, Naruto-kun." She laughed, but it was hollow.

She focused her chakra to her hands and mended the injuries on his arms. The boy's mouth fell open and he watched the process with a profound interest that made her feel like she was a legendary sage.

"Whoa! How did you do that?"

"I'm a ninja." She grinned. "It took me years for my dad to teach me that, though. It was hard to learn."

"Will you teach me?" He asked, bright eyed. "I want to be a ninja, too, you know!"

She blinked and pinched his cheek, "Maybe when you're out of the Academy, huh?"

"Really?"

"If you want, Naruto-kun." She stood and captured his hand in her own. "Now, let's get you home before it's dark."

His expression fell as the words left her mouth, "Oh."

"What's wrong? Show me where you live and we can talk on the way."

He tugged her to a walk. She could not get over how much like Minato the boy looked. It was like he was a miniature clone and it tugged at her heart strings in the most bittersweet ways. They walked for a while in silence. He led her to an apartment complex and they stepped inside.

"Will you leave? Or will you play with me for a while?"

"I guess I'll play with you for a bit." She replied. "I'm really tired, though."

He brightened. "Can we play ninja?"

"Sure. Just so long as you don't run me around too much."

"Okay! I just don't want to be alone."

Her grip on his hand loosened, "Why would you be alone? Are your guardians going to be busy tonight or something? Why wouldn't they have someone to take care of you?"

The boy looked at her like he was lost, "They told me I couldn't live with them anymore."

"What?" Her voice cracked.

Naruto's eyes were bright with tears, "It's okay. I'm a big boy and I'm really strong."

It sounded like he was trying to convince himself of it. Arashi had a hard time believing that she heard him correctly, but she knew she did – even if she wanted with everything in her to be wrong.

"My apartment's right here." The boy announced and unlocked the door.

When she stepped inside she cringed. The sink was full of dirty dishes, the bed was unmade – in fact she did not even see a sheet – and there was trash overflowing from the trash can and occupying floor space. Naruto was a five year old child and his guardians had abandoned him to fend for himself.

Arashi wanted to cry.

"It's a bit messy," he scratched his cheek.

"I can see." She tried to sound cheerful.

That the Fourth Hokage and Kushina's son was abandoned and treated like trash was enough to make her want to scream.

"What's your name, big sis?"

"You don't know? I've sent pictures of me and my family with your birthday gifts. Did they never tell you my name?"

He tilted his head to one side and stared at her in confusion.

"Did you," she swallowed over a lump in her throat. "Did they ever give you the gifts I sent for you?"

He shook his head, "No?"

She felt like someone kicked her in the teeth.

"Oh. I-I sent presents for you. A lot." Tears brimmed her eyes, "My name's Ran Arashi."

"Arashi? How do you know my name?"

"I met you when you were too little to remember me. A long time ago." She looked away from him. "You've grown a lot since then. You're a – you're a big boy now compared to then."

"Are you going to hurt me?"

She was mortified, "I would _never_ hurt you."

He stared at her for a while like he was trying to discern whether or not she was telling the truth, "Really?"

"Really. I'd sooner die."

"Can I call you Sis?"

"I'd re-really like that." She whispered.

He grinned from one ear to the other – just like Kushina, "I've always wanted a big sister!"

She went to her knees and hugged him, "You have one now."

"Oh!" He gasped. "Now we can play together all the time!"

She let go of him and stood, "Not all the time, but I'll be sure to spend time with you when I can, alright?"

"You promise?"

"I promise." She looked around. "Now, let's play ninja and get this place cleaned up a bit."

It was easier to get Naruto involved in cleaning than she thought it would be. The child was starved for attention in such a way it made her body ache. He ran from one side of the apartment to the other and his laughter echoed off the walls with enough vitality to help her forget how tired she was. There was something about that boy that made her feel hopeful. She figured it was something to do with who his parents were.

_Now, to see if he has any clothes._ She hummed to herself. _The ones he's wearing right now are filthy._

She dug through his clothes and huffed in disgust. Everything appeared too small or much too big for his body. She made a few calculations in her head and glanced over at the boy as he tried to reach the dishes in the sink, but failed.

"Naruto-kun, would you like to go shopping for clothes with me soon?"

"Yeah!"

"Alright, it's a date." She pulled out a set of pajamas, "Now, get in the shower and into these when you're done."

The boy nodded and ran to the bathroom.

_He's so happy to just have me here._

As soon as she heard the shower turn on, she collapsed on the floor and wept. If she was an adult, she would take him on as her own child in a heartbeat. She hated his guardians with everything in her. If she ever saw them again, she doubted she could restrain herself from taking a swing at them. The next day she was going to go straight to the Hokage and confront him about this.

_I can't just not do anything,_ She wiped tears away from her face. _He deserves so much better. If not for his parents, then for him._

The moment his parents sealed the demon inside him and died he had been cursed to a life of loneliness and solitude. For five years she believed he was cared for and nurtured like any child should be, but the reality of the situation was the opposite.

_"I'll pw-protect you, teach you, and help you with everything."_

From now on she would.

She pulled herself to her feet and went over to the sink to finish the dishes. Naruto was still too short to reach high enough to take care of them without something to stand on. Her plate was already full between working with Ibiki Sensei and her father's insistence that she continue shadowing at the hospital, but she would make a way to take care of this boy.

Naruto was in severe need of food that was not ramen and some clothes that were not orange. At the very least, she could do that, even if she could not give him all the time she wanted to.

* * *

><p>Alright that's all for now. I actually hate this chapter and I feel like I should apologize. Haha Anyway, the next one will definitely be better. There might be some shopping with young Naruto mixed in with Arashi visiting Itachi at the Uchiha compound and getting pulled into a stare down with Fugaku – who definitely does not like her. I have to admit to liking the interactions between Arashi and the Uchiha clan so far from what I've messed with.<p>

Anyhoo, share your thoughts, opinions, ideas, or suggestions in a review. I'd like to see what everything thinks of her team so far. Also, I'm considering shortening the chapters and just updating more often. More updates or longer chapters? I'm still undecided.

Thank you very much for reading and try to look over any grammatical mistakes that may have snaked their way in.


	3. Thoughtfulness

**Chapter 3: Thoughtfulness**

**Chapter Summary:** _In which Itachi visits Arashi in the night and a couple birthdays are highlighted. Sparks fly, fluff fluffs, and a cute boy gets jealous._

* * *

><p>Songs: Dead Can Dance – Rakim. Naruto Shippuden OST – Konoha Peace. (I think I might listen to an odd assortment when writing)<p>

* * *

><p>Sorry about this taking a bit longer. I'm not sure how well this chapter flows since I've broken it up like I did for part 1, but I am trying to show <em>highlights<em> of her life still. That requires skipping chunks of unnecessary time. Next part will drop that and it won't jump around as much. I'm trying to skip the tediousness of training and basic missions, but blahh.

**DarkNexus4050: **I love your reviews. :)

* * *

><p><strong>A Visit in the Night<strong>

Arashi stared up at her ceiling. It had been months since she started paying visits to Naruto. After a meeting with the Hokage decent food was now appearing in Naruto's home – something that made her sigh in relief. With her limited income she doubted she could afford to feed the boy. Buying clothes and a few toys proved to be expensive as it was, but it had to be done.

No guardians had been found that were willing to take the child on, but after another meeting with the Hokage – she was sure the old man hated her by now for her pestering – they had come to an agreement that Naruto would be enrolled in the Academy. That would allow him to socialize with children under the supervision of Chuunin as well as to run some of the energy out of his body. A shinobi would be sent on a regular basis to check on Naruto in the evenings to ensure everything was alright. It still did not placate her completely, but it was a start.

Still no sign of his previous guardians, which was probably a good thing, since she was too young to already be in jail for attempted or successful homicide in a street with numerous witnesses around.

Training with Ibiki proved to be difficult. He pushed chakra control, sparring matches, mind games, and a strict worth ethic onto the squad. The chakra control was not a challenge for her, thanks to her father conditioning her for years to groom her into the medical nin she always wanted to be, but that meant that the Jounin had high expectations for her.

She turned on her side and her eyes fell on a stack of scrolls on her nightstand. They were all pertaining to fuinjutsu. She reached out and ran her fingers across the parchment and a wisp of comfort ran through her. When she was six she never would have believed that she would find comfort in studying something as dry and tedious as sealing jutsu theorems. Then again, she took to the subject like a fish in water.

She was grateful that Kushina discovered a talent that may have stayed hidden for several more years, if not longer.

She turned away and stared at the ceiling again. Sleep was set on evading her that night, even though her body felt like a sack of potatoes.

_Sack of potatoes? Can that even be used to describe how I feel? Ugh._

Nevertheless, it irritated her. Arashi needed to sleep. Her father expected her to accompany him to work with him early the next morning.

The sound of a bird pecking on her window pulled her out of her thoughts. She slid out of bed, turned a lamp on, and moved a curtain to the side. Sure enough, there was a crow and it stared back at her. With a huff, Arashi felt around the area and found that a special flame was right above her window.

Itachi's face appeared above the crow and he gave a polite wave as a greeting.

"Oh, you, uh, I didn't expect you." She whispered and ushered him in.

He climbed through her window and gave her a skeptical look, "I did not wake you, did I?"

"Nope. Can't sleep tonight and it was starting to make me mad." She looked away and pouted. "I mean, I've been running myself ragged and the one night when I could catch up on some rest, my mind's too busy racing to let me. What is that?"

"You've been looking after Naruto?" He asked, but it struck her more like a statement.

"Yeah. Kid's guardians abandoned him and, well, I just couldn't let him be alone. You know, he's younger than Sasuke by a little bit."

"You loved his parents."

She blinked, "Wait, what? You know?"

"Kushina-san was my mother's friend." Itachi explained. "I went with her the morning after Naruto was born to see him in the hospital."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." Arashi sat on her bed and motioned for him to join her. "So, what's up? Need to talk or something?"

He handed her a small box and sat beside her, "I missed your birthday. Sorry about that."

"Pfft, I missed my birthday, too. Busy, busy. Nothing to apologize for."

She turned the box in her hand. It was wrapped in purple paper with a small bow tied around it. She glanced over at him and grinned in approval. Arashi loved bows and ribbons. After appreciating how well he prepared the gift, she tugged the bow loose and tore the paper off the box.

"Perfume?" She pulled the bottle out and held it up to the light.

"I thought you would like it." He took the bottle from her and sprayed it on her wrist. "What do you think?"

She lifted the wrist to her face and inhaled. It was a light scent that smelled fresh and clean; not overly sweet or powerful. It was nice.

"I love it!" She thrust her wrist out to him.

His fingers closed around her forearm and she shivered as the tip of his nose grazed the inside of her wrist, "It suits you. I'm glad you like it."

Itachi released her and his lips twitched into a reserved smile. She braced her arm against her chest and chewed on her lip.

_How is he always so calm and cool?_

"Well," he glanced at the clock hanging on her wall, "I should get going. I just got back from a mission not long ago."

The word leapt out of her mouth before she could catch it, "Wait."

He arched an eyebrow at her.

"Would you stay and talk to me for a bit? I haven't seen you in a while and, well, I've missed you."

He removed his sandals and sat cross legged on her bed. The lamp beside them casted long shadows across the room and it caused the boy to look more like an apparition than a companion. Arashi cleared her throat and readjusted the light so that she could see Itachi clearly.

He blinked in discomfort as his eyes adjusted to the light, "What is troubling you?"

"Well," she laid on her side across the bed near him, "I feel really stretched thin. Like, with everything in me, I want to be in five different places at the same time. I want to spend time with my family, but I also want to work at the hospital to further my dreams, and then there's Naruto and I feel like I'm doing something wrong when I'm not giving him every spare minute that I have, but I know I just _can't_ do that. Then, there's my team and that's a headache all of its own." She huffed, "And, well, I miss you. We've both been so busy, you know? You've spoiled me to eating at cafes with you and just getting to vent for a while."

He hummed in acknowledgement, "Stop thinking of life as a chain of objectives."

She paused and thought about his words. At times she felt like he was inside her head, but she did not mind. It was a feeling she had gotten used to years before. He surprised not only her with his intuitive nature, but every person he worked with. At a young age, he knew what made a person tick.

"But if I don't do that, I'm afraid I won't reach my goals."

"Don't feel that way." His eyebrows knit together sympathetically. "I am confident you'll reach your goals. Enjoy being a Genin and don't worry so much about the next step. It will come when it's time."

She snorted, "Says the boy who's gunning for ANBU after becoming a Chuunin at ten. When I think of objective driven, I think of you—"

He flicked her nose in response.

She covered her face and rolled away, "Really? _Really?_"

Another signature flickered outside of her window once, then twice, and then again. It was not the first time she had been near that chakra, so she knew who it was; Uchiha Shisui. His signature flickered again a couple times and she frowned in annoyance. He was trying to get Itachi's attention.

"I guess I want to keep you away from some of the harder paths in life," Itachi admitted.

Arashi peeked up at her friend, "So you want me to stay the same spoiled brat that I was in the Academy? Ribbons and tantrums included?"

He chuckled and tied the bow from the gift around one of her fingers, "I can be selfish."

"Sorry, but I'll have to grow up someday, Itachi-kun." She shook the adorned finger at him.

Shisui flickered outside her window again. Arashi's attention snapped over to the signature and she slid off her bed. Enough was enough.

She pushed her curtains to the side, leaned out and hissed, "Shisui-san, if you don't stop teleporting outside my window I will come out, drag you in by those girly eyelashes of yours and rip every last one of them out of your face!"

Itachi stared at her, aghast.

Shisui teleported inside the room and smirked mischievously at Arashi, "Well, I was trying to not impose on your conversation with my friend, but if you wanted my company you could have asked nicer."

The kunoichi squared her shoulders and threw her chin up, "Hovering outside a girl's window at night and eavesdropping on what she's saying is unacceptable."

"Oh, I see," he glanced over at Itachi with a playfully wounded expression, "I didn't mean to pry into your private time with each other. I didn't peg Itachi the type to go for the sassy, opinionated girls."

Her stance faltered into one of disbelief. The purely platonic friendship she had with Itachi had never been called into question before – he was devoted to his career and she was devoted to hers – anyone that knew them realized this. There would never be anything between the two – or at least she had never thought about anything more than friendship with him.

_No way is this jerk going to come into my room and make me feel like this!_ She bristled, "Don't worry; you have no reason to worry. I won't be coming between your bromance any time soon, so shove your attempts to embarrass me!"

"Did I strike a nerve?" He asked innocently.

Itachi, who was known for his level headedness and general sense of calm, was staring at them with his mouth slightly open. He looked from Shisui to Arashi and then back to Shisui. At that moment he looked like anything but a seasoned shinobi.

He looked like a boy that had been caught in bed with a girl in the middle of the night by his best friend – that being exactly what happened, except there was nothing untoward involved in their meeting – and the idea that someone thought otherwise mortified him.

The kunoichi poked Shisui in the chest with her finger, "This might be a fun game to you, but coming in and saying stuff like that to two friends isn't cool, alright? If you needed to talk to Itachi, you could have just asked. I mean, it's not like I'm not gonna let the two of you go do whatever it is you Uchiha people do."

The older Uchiha laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She started to pull away, but he braced her against his side and half dragged her to another corner in the room. He leaned over until his lips almost touched her ear. Arashi wanted to hide under her bed like a startled cat, but she was never the strongest person and the only way she could get away was if Shisui decided to let her go.

"Look, I was just playing with you. You're funny when you're all worked up, Arashi-chan." He whispered. "Besides, I know Itachi. The look on his face right now was worth it."

She glared at him. It was befitting that Shisui was Itachi's best friend. They were two of the most skilled Uchiha, prodigies, and their personalities seemed to balance each other out. Itachi was calm, quiet, and eccentric. Shisui was mischievous, somewhat playful, and more talkative. Both were infuriatingly intelligent and clever. Both of them were also great with genjutsu – why she kept a mental note of who was good with that field specifically only reminded her that she had some hang ups about her own lack of aptitude there – and as such were fascinating in an alien way to her.

_Why are most of the people in my life such a pain?_

"Also, what did you mean by bromance?" Shisui whispered.

She opened her mouth to respond, but the sound of a door opening and closing down the hall made her freeze. She shot a horrified look at both of the Uchiha and Itachi snatched his sandals off the floor.

"Arashi, are you awake?" Ookami's voice called through the door. "Is there someone in there with you?"

The two Uchiha were gone in seconds.

Arashi opened the door and peered up at her father, "Huh? I just can't sleep tonight. It sucks. Can't stop thinking about stuff."

"Oh." He scanned her room and nodded, "Alright. Try to clear your head. An active mind is the worst thing to have when you're trying to sleep."

"Yeah," she faked a yawn. "Well, guess we'd better go to sleep, huh, daddy?"

He smiled and turned to go back to his room.

Arashi closed the door and slid into bed. She turned the lamp off and buried her face in her pillow. That was close. If he had seen those boys in her room, then she would have crawled under a rock and died.

Not even a teenager yet and boys were already visiting her room in the night?

That was not something she wanted to subject her father to. She wanted to ride out _daddy's innocent angel_ for as long as she could. She had things to do, jutsu to learn, skills to hone, experience to gain, and goals to reach.

She caught the fresh scent of her perfume and smiled.

Then again, maybe she could slow down a little. Itachi had never asked her for anything in all of their friendship. For him, she would take her time – instead of running as fast as she could, she would walk some of the distance. She just hoped that someday her friend could slow down and walk with her.

She doubted his devotion to his responsibilities would ever allow that, but she hoped.

* * *

><p><strong>Back to the Grind<strong>

Arashi sighed and walked inside her father's office in the hospital. Nurses flitted back and forth in the hallway as they went from room to room. The kunoichi wished she had the energy to prance around, but at the moment her feet felt like boulders. While most of the day was left, her morning had been spent training with her squad.

It did not go well.

When they were not on missions the Genin were at each other's throats. Ibiki seemed to enjoy it to an extent, but even the sadist had his limits when it came to their drama. Their behavior earned them an intense, somewhat inhumane routine.

_No pain, no gain, right?_

Ookami looked up from some paperwork and smiled, "Ready to help me make a few rounds?"

"I feel more like a nap," she groaned.

"That can wait until you're home." He stood, "There's a lot of work to be done and you need the experience."

"I know, Dad. I know."

He handed her several files and she followed behind him. She flipped through the documents and got a quick idea of what she would be helping with that day. On the agenda was some preparation work for minor surgeries, outpatient procedures, and one major surgery that she was sure her father would have her observing.

The girl sighed. It was going to be a long day, but at least now she did not have to deal with her squad. On another note, her father had never pushed her harder than she could take. He was sensitive enough to her wellbeing to know when to be strict and when to give a little slack and for that she would always be grateful.

* * *

><p><strong>A Gift for Itachi<strong>

Arashi swallowed over the nervous lump in her throat and stared down the street at the entrance to the Uchiha compound. In one arm she held a gift. The box was wrapped with gray paper and there was a large, overly-dramatic red bow tied around it.

She was not sure if he even favored gray or red, but she figured it would be alright. He mostly wore gray and red was in his clan's symbol. At the very least it was acceptable.

_Well, I really don't know all that much about Itachi. Favorite colors are usually one of the first things people share about themselves,_ she thought while she eyed her surroundings.

Arashi shrugged and entered the compound. As she walked, she noticed many sets of eyes following her for a brief moment before they turned back to their own business. A few people nodded or greeted her in friendly tones, but she still felt somehow alienated. Everywhere she looked there were clan symbols, whether it was on clothing or displayed on their architecture.

Despite the estrangement, the signatures of the Uchiha clan were among her favorites. Genetically, they all had a disposition for fire and she could not think of an affinity more suited to their country. There was a darkness that she could sense within many of the clansmen, but she had felt a similar vibe from war veterans. She could not put her finger on what it was. All she knew was that neither Itachi, nor Shisui, nor Sasuke held it within them.

There was an undeniable tension growing between the Uchiha and anyone not in their clan. It was hard to not notice it. Blame had been thrown around after the fox demon tore the village up and she felt that it was unjustified. If anything it was discriminatory and needed to be stopped, but people were people; willful, ignorant, and lacking empathy.

She caught herself chewing on her lip and forced herself to stop.

In her mind, she determined that this was a good day. She could already feel Itachi inside his home and her destination was not far away. It was not the exact day of his birthday, but it was close. Missions had a tendency to steal a person's home-life, especially when those missions were often B ranked in Itachi's case. She was still stuck doing D's until Ibiki was convinced her team had enough sense to handle a higher rank.

His lack of faith in them was the opposite of refreshing.

She pushed those thoughts away from her mind and continued on her trek. When she arrived at Itachi's home, she stopped near the door and took a steadying breath. She was not sure what unnerved her about Itachi's parents, but there was something that did not sit right with her.

It might have been the critical, stern attitude Fugaku had.

It practically wafted off the man, after all. As pathetic as it might have sounded when admitted aloud, Arashi direly wanted him to like her. Because of that, any time she did something that was less than perfect near him it stuck into her like a barb.

Mikoto, on the other hand, made her feel at ease.

"Arashi-chan?"

She blinked, "Huh?"

Sasuke stared up at her with a confused expression on his face, "Why are you staring at my house like that?"

"Erm, yeah, I was distracted. Totally tunnel visioned right there."

"If you say so," He was not convinced.

"It's the truth," Arashi ruffled his hair, "Now, where's your brother? I have to give him a gift."

Sasuke's face lit up like only a child's can, "What is it?"

"Shh," She knelt down until their eyes were level, "I'm going to try to surprise him with it. It's something I hope he'll think is really cool. Don't tell him I'm here. We'll try to sneak up on him."

"He probably already knows you're here." The boy whispered. "He's _my_ big brother, after all."

"Oh, I see, I see." She nodded, "So what should we do?"

His eyes flickered from the box she was holding and then he met her gaze again, "If you tell me what it is I can tell you if my big brother will like it."

He sounded and appeared full heartedly earnest, but she knew better.

She threw her nose up in the air and dramatically shielded her face, "You're trying to manipulate me with those eyes of yours, aren't you?"

Sasuke pouted, "Nu uh."

"Nope, nope! When I was your age I had that stuff down like an art. I am completely immune." She stood, ruffled his hair again and walked around the house. "Tell your brother I need to talk to him."

"He's supposed to play with me today." He called after her. "So hurry!"

"If you keep being so jealous, Sasuke-kun, you'll turn green!"

"That's not possible!"

She stuck her tongue out at him.

The boy stuck his tongue out right back at her and raced inside to find his brother.

One thing Arashi did like about visiting Itachi was how lovely his home was. She stood by the koi pond and giggled as the fish came to the surface and opened their mouths to ask for food.

_You guys are aquatic hogs, you know that?_

A couple minutes passed before Itachi stepped outside and approached her. She turned toward him and held the box out at arm's length. The corners of his lips twitched and he took the gift from her.

"My brother said you had a gift for me." He commented.

"That boy can't keep a secret," she shook her head. "Well, go ahead and open it!"

He sat on the grass and untied the ribbon. Instead of discarding it to the side, he neatly folded the fabric and handed it back to Arashi. She crossed her legs and sat beside him, playing with the ribbon as she waited for his response. He opened the box and pulled out a book.

She cleared her throat and explained, "It's full of information about mythical and legendary items. Mostly weapons, really, but it has a lot of details about their histories and origins. I thought you might like it."

He cracked it open and flipped through the pages, "This is very nice. Thank you."

A crease formed between his eyebrows and his eyes focused on the words written across the pages. It reminded her of the times they met in the library to read and talk.

"If you could find anything in there to use, what would you choose?" She leaned over to see what he was looking at.

His finger settled on a name, "The Sword of Totsuka. The blade of sealing."

"That was quick. I guess you've read this stuff before?"

"Somewhat." He replied. "What about you?"

She pursed her lips, "I dunno. Maybe something like the Yata Mirror."

"The shield that negates all attacks?" He stared at her for a moment and hummed. "It would suit your personality."

She snorted, "You're either calling me vain or a mother hen."

He grinned and flicked her nose, "We can debate which it is at another time."

She shirked back from him to nurse her face. He closed the book, gathered everything together, and stood. She followed his lead and dusted the grass and some dirt off her clothing.

"Dinner is almost ready. Would you like to stay?"

She opened her mouth to accept, but caught a glimpse of Fugaku watching them from the doorway with his arms crossed, "Erm, maybe another time. My mom will be expecting me back and I still need to visit Naruto-kun. Tell your mother I said hi and don't forget to play with Sasuke-kun."

He glanced over at his father and frowned – he saw right through her excuses.

"Arashi-chan," he wrapped his arms around her for a quick hug, "You are very thoughtful."

She closed her eyes and embraced him back, "It's nothing. I hope it has some cool stuff in it that you haven't read a dozen times already."

Fugaku cleared his throat.

She released Itachi and waved at Fugaku, "Have a nice evening, Fugaku-san!"

The father and son frowned and shook their heads as she retreated – each for a different reason.

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading this chapter! Next chapter will have heavy Naruto and Arashi interaction, as well as his enrollment in the Academy. Soon Arashi will start going on missions that require her to act like a ninja, so please bear with me. If you have any thoughts, opinions, suggestions, or criticisms then share them in a review.<p>

Honestly, I feel like I've made Itachi such a teddy bear. Sighh.. The Massacre is really going to suck. hahah


	4. Uzumaki Naruto

**Chapter 4: Uzumaki Naruto**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Summary<strong>: _In which Arashi trains with her team, celebrates Naruto's birthday, and Naruto is enrolled at the Academy._

* * *

><p>Hollywood Undead – Lion, The Rosebuds – Hold Hands and Fight<p>

**Cathy8taffy**: Thank you for the review and support! I'm glad that you've enjoyed everything up to this point.

**DarkNexus4050**: Thank you for all of your support from the very first chapter I posted online!

* * *

><p>Sorry that this took so long! I've been down in my back and entirely miserable for over a week now and I've also been pretty busy. Hopefully the next chapter won't take me so long to write. Thanks to everyone for reading and I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It has a lot of Naruto interaction in it.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Training<strong>

"This is _awful_."

Arashi looked over at Daisuke and silently agreed with his sentiment. The three Genin were covered in dirt, their clothes were soaked with sweat, and their bodies ached from exertion. She had settled on her knees to catch her breath. Akio was in front of her in a crouch panting as heavily as she was. Daisuke sat to her left with a scowl on his face as he exuded dissatisfaction and frustration.

Their Sensei's lips twitched periodically as if he was having a hard time hiding his amusement.

"Welcome to being a ninja," Ibiki retorted, "Although you may not prefer Taijutsu, it is a skill that you must become efficient in. As soon as an opponent realizes you're long ranged, they will do their best to close that distance. If you don't have a way to defend yourself then you're dead."

"What about evasion?" Daisuke sniffed. "I mean, I've worked hard at being good at staying away from opponents and I'm pretty sure Shi-Shi-chan has, too. I'm dying to learn new techniques."

Ibiki was unmoved, "I'm not here to do what you want. I'm here to teach you all how to be productive soldiers with the hope that you'll live to a ripe age instead of dying young."

Daisuke frowned and crossed his arms, "But, Sensei—"

"You should always have a backup plan for when the one before it falls through." He grunted. "Otherwise, you'll end up dead. Now shut up and catch your breath. We still have a while to go before I'm done with you."

The boy closed his mouth and glared at his feet.

Arashi shifted on her knees and looked around the clearing. There were weapons scattered all about from training with them before they began sparring. The sun had risen and although they were under a group of trees, the heat was persistent.

Ibiki was not the type of man to give them long breaks, either, and she was done with Taijutsu for the day.

She cleared her throat and swallowed some anxiety, "Sensei, while we're, uh, catching our breath, maybe we could focus on something else? I mean, Taijutsu is going to be a life saver for us later, but it would be cool if you taught us some stuff that we could learn only from you. You're our Sensei, after all!"

"None of it would be pleasant for you, girl." He retorted. "What do you think you would like to learn from me?"

"Oh, well," She stammered.

"Profiling." Akio spoke.

Ibiki regarded the Aburame, "You want to learn how to analyze people better?"

"I do." He replied.

_Wait, that's actually pretty cool,_ Arashi perked up. _Good job, Akio._

The Jounin smiled, "Alright. Everyone on their feet and follow me."

"Are we going back to the interrogation ward, Ibiki Sensei?" Daisuke rose to his feet.

He smirked, "No, we'll do something a little more interesting today. Later, we'll go through some case studies of prisoners, but today I feel like being active."

"Oh?" Arashi tilted her head to one side, "Like what are we doing?"

"We're going to crowd watch, pick out a target, and track that target throughout the village. I want each of you to note every detail of what that target does and compile it together. From there, I want you to figure out who the target is as a person."

"So, we're _stalking_." She crinkled her nose.

"It's part of being a ninja. You don't think all you'll be doing is fighting to the death against other ninja, right?" He chuckled and shook his head.

"Well, I really hoped that wasn't what was going to happen with my life," Arashi huffed and crossed her arms. "Don't have to laugh at me."

The man snorted in response and marched off toward the village. She walked by his side while the two other Genin walked behind them. The kunoichi was not sure why, but when she walked behind him she got a mental image of her team clinging to the tail of his trench coat. It made her feel weird.

"Hey, if we're going to be trailing after someone, we shouldn't do it as a group." Daisuke commented. "I'd say we need to drag out some headsets for communication."

Akio grunted in agreement.

"You seem happy about this." Arashi glanced over her shoulder at Daisuke.

Akio grunted in agreement again.

"Hey, it's better than punching each other." He sniffed.

Akio did not grunt in agreement. Arashi and Daisuke looked at him and he shrugged.

_Of course he would enjoy taking swings at us;_ she pursed her lips and looked ahead. _Some things will never change._

They made a quick detour for equipment and before long they were in a crowded area. In order to not look as suspicious, they broke apart and slipped into the groups of people. Arashi scanned everyone around while trying to be casual.

"The woman window shopping; wearing pink. She's our target." Ibiki spoke through the headset. "Stay spread out and don't get noticed."

Arashi made herself familiar with the person's faint chakra signature. Their target was not a shinobi. From where the kunoichi was standing she could tell that the woman was middle aged and a little over weight. She wore expensive jewelry and there was a bag full of recently purchased items on her arm.

_Well, this shouldn't be hard._ She thought to herself.

They trailed her for hours. She went from store to store and stopped at a restaurant to eat. Following her proved to be easy. She was absorbed in her own affairs and paid little attention to anyone else.

When the woman made it to her home, Ibiki called them back to his location. The Genin took a seat on a bench while he stood in front of them with his arms crossed – a pose Arashi was sure he used during interrogations. He looked from Akio, to Arashi, and then to Daisuke.

"What did you figure out?" He broke the silence. "Akio, you go first."

The boy was quiet for a moment, "She's lonely and has expensive tastes. Quiet and kept to herself."

"Alright." He looked over at Arashi, "Now you, girl."

"Middle aged, liked expensive things. She bought clothes that were a little too small for her, I'm sure of it, but she looked at them and held them against her body like they were definitely for her, so I guess she's on a diet or something. She didn't talk to anyone and seemed like she was in a bad mood." She shrugged, "Other than that, the jewelry she had on looked old like it was handed down."

"You're last, Daisuke."

"She had a miscarriage and hasn't told her husband about it." He replied.

Akio and Arashi looked at him like he was crazy.

Ibiki's eyebrows rose, "And how did you come to this?"

"Like what Akio and Arashi noticed, except there was a lot more going on." He shrugged. "She kept touching her stomach and pulling her hand away like it hurt or something, she was looking at clothes that were a little too small for her, she was a bit overweight, and she was out alone. She wasn't happy to be shopping and her eyes kept going over to baby stuff every time she was anywhere near any, but she got this sad look each time. When she went to a restaurant she barely ate anything like she was not hungry and when she went home she stood at the door for a full minute before going in. I'd say she found out she miscarried today, bought some clothes for when she drops the baby weight, wasted some time to build up her nerve, and went home to break the news to her husband."

Their Sensei smiled, "Well, I did not expect you to be the most observant today. Good job."

Akio and Arashi shot daggers at Daisuke with their eyes. Daisuke's chest swelled with pride.

"Now," Ibiki continued, "Let's see what we can derive from everything you noticed and everything _I_ noticed."

Arashi leaned forward on the bench, her interest piqued. This was much better than D rank missions.

* * *

><p><strong>Happy Birthday, Naruto!<strong>

"Hurry, Sis!" Naruto called at Arashi.

"I'm coming!" She called back. "Don't run so far ahead."

"But it's my birthday! I'm six now! That's big!"

She adjusted a couple bags on her arms and followed after the boy. The bright orange of his clothing made it easy to track him through the groups of people in the market. Many of the people muttered under their breath and moved away from the child, but he paid no attention to their behavior. It made her chest feel tight, but she was glad that they were not openly cruel to him.

The spot of orange ducked into a small shop. She picked up her pace and weaved her way through everyone.

It was Naruto's birthday and by the way he was acting she had a feeling it was the first one he had ever celebrated. She tried to not think about it because every time she did it made her gravitate between being furious to wanting to cry. Her own brother had known nothing but love since he was born – even if he was odd and not the brightest kid. Every child deserved that kind of unconditional love.

Arashi looked up at Minato's face on the monument and sighed. She missed him and Kushina. Being near their child made her think of them and remember them every day. She wished that she could tell him who his parents were, tell him they were heroes, and tell him that they loved him – like how he wanted to be loved – but the Hokage would string her up for that. It was for his protection, but it felt like a crime.

She shrugged and turned to walk into the shop, but before she could enter, a commotion broke out inside. Something fell to the ground and broke and people started yelling.

"Get out of here, you little _monster_!"

Naruto slid out of the store on his back and stopped at her feet. The pair of goggles she bought for him just hours before fell off and clattered on the ground. He looked up at her with a shocked expression and then back at whoever threw him out of the building. She pulled him to his feet and looked inside to see who was responsible.

The shopkeeper came to the doorway and pointed right at Naruto, "You stay out of here, you hear me? I don't want you anywhere near my store!"

Something inside of her snapped, "Excuse me?"

He blinked when he noticed her, "I don't need him in here stealing anything."

"I wasn't stealing!" The six year old screeched at him. "I ain't that way!"

"I'd expect nothing but lies from _you_!" The man bristled.

"Well, what was he stealing?" Her voice was quiet, even to her own ears. "Prove to me he was stealing."

"He was!" The man insisted.

"_What_ was he stealing?" She took a step toward him.

He took a step back, "You're not seriously going to believe him over me, are you?"

She grabbed the collar of his shirt and slammed him against a wall. He started to resist, but his eyes fell on her hitai-ate and he went still. A ninja, even when young, was not someone to mess around with and the shopkeeper knew it. She could see the fear and disbelief in his eyes. He was almost twice her size, but she was in control of the situation.

Ibiki's physical training was the reason – if not for his focus on Taijutsu, then she never would have had the strength to pin this man to the wall.

"Now, let's try this again," She quietly hissed to him, "We both know Naruto wasn't stealing. So, why don't you re-evaluate yourself for a second right now. What possessed you and made you think it was okay to put your hands on a little boy and talk to him that way?"

"He's a demo—"

She slammed him against the wall, "Don't you _ever_ talk to him that way, do you hear me? Don't you _ever_ treat him like he's less, don't you _ever_ call him names, and don't you _ever,"_ she slammed him against the wall once more for good measure, "_ever _Touch him again!"

"Sis, don't waste your time on him! He's just dumb!" Naruto shouted, "I don't get why these people hate me, but I'm gonna be a ninja and I'm gonna be Hokage someday! That's my dream!"

The man's eyes flickered over to him and then back at her, "I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"

"You'd better not, you know." She whispered. "Because if you ever mistreat him again, I'll find out and then I'll get you back. I'll make you regret it. Every day I'm getting stronger and smarter, so you better not underestimate me, got it?"

He nodded, tensely.

Arashi released him and he slouched in relief. She turned away and smiled back at the little boy. He stood in the doorway and waited for her. His eyes were bright and he grinned from one ear to the other at. The goggles were back on his head, holding his hair out of his face again. She returned to his side and took his hand.

Only then did she realize a small crowd had formed to watch the scene.

She cleared her throat, "Hey, Naruto-kun, let's get out of here. We'll find a better place to celebrate your birthday. This place is too trashy."

"Alright!" He made a face at the shopkeeper.

"Here, get on my back. I'm faster than you are."

Naruto climbed on her back and pointed a finger at everyone around them, "My name's Uzumaki Naruto! Remember it!"

The people stared at them incredulously. Arashi felt a lot like a beast of burden at that moment, but brushed it off and pushed her way through them to get away from the stares. Naruto squeezed her in a hug from behind and rested his face on her shoulder.

Arashi's lips trembled, _I'm becoming Ibiki._

"Hey, Sis, what's with that look on your face?"

"Oh, nothing," She searched for an excuse – one that did not include the fear of growing up to be a sadistic interrogator – and grunted out, "You're just getting so heavy. Must be all that ramen you squirrel away and eat."

"Ramen! Let's go to Ichiraku's!"

"What? Really?"

"Yeah! Yeah! It's my birthday and-and you're like the _best_ big sister, you know!"

"Well," Arashi blushed, "When you put it that way, how could I say no?"

He threw his fist up in the air and cheered.

When they arrived the owner – his name evaded her at the moment – grinned right at the boy. It was a welcomed change compared to how they were stared at earlier. She offered him a quick wave and planted the kid on a seat before she slid onto a stool next to him. Naruto almost vibrated with excitement as he watched his food being prepared. Arashi put her elbows on the bar and rested her chin in her hands.

At the moment, they were the only customers. It was nice to just be the two of them. She did not have to worry about anyone else but the boy.

"Naruto-kun, I'd like to talk to you." She set an eye on him.

"Huh?" He pouted. "What for? I don't like how you sound when you say that."

"Hmm, well, it's nothing bad. I just want to let you know that if anyone's ever mean to you, well, I want you to stand up for yourself. I don't mean take a swing at them or get into a fight, but don't let anyone talk bad to you, okay? And don't believe a word of the bad stuff they try to say."

His pout turned into a determined grin, "Got it!"

"Good."

"But, Sis?"

"Yeah?"

"What if they try to fight with me?"

She thought for a few seconds, "Well, try to be the mature one and settle the fight with words, but if that doesn't work out, do whatever you have to in order to take care of yourself."

"What if they're bigger than me?"

"If they're a guy kick them in the nads."

The boy's look of horror and then his cackle of amusement made her regret the suggestion.

"But only if he's way bigger than you and it's a really serious situation! And if anything happens, you better let me know."

"Okay, umm, and if it's a girl?"

"Hmm, well, when you're a ninja there won't be any difference between a boy and a girl if that person's a ninja. If you have to fight them, then you have to give it your all either way because that person is going to be really dangerous, okay?"

The boy nodded.

"But, if that person is a normal person, like a civilian, that's never had any fighting experience and she's just running her mouth, then you get away from her. Don't ever let anyone hurt you, but don't stick around if you know it's going to lead to trouble."

He pouted and crossed his arms, "Hitting girls ain't right, but I don't want to run from anyone."

"Hey now, running doesn't mean you're losing. Sometimes getting out of a situation means you won. You're more important than getting hurt in a pointless fight. You're important to me, after all."

He leaned over and hugged her arm. His wild blond hair tickled her skin, but she did not mind. She planted a kiss on top of his head.

He pulled away, "Eww, Sis. Don't kiss me like that in public. I'm not a baby."

She snickered, "Yeah, all those six years of yours must be weighing you down."

He poked himself in the chest with a finger, "I'll be Hokage in no time and then I'll make you my advisor or something."

"Oh? Is that a promise? You're giving me your word as a future shinobi?"

"Yeah! I promise! Everything I say is gonna mean a lot then, you know!"

She pinched his cheek, "That means you have to start making everything you say mean something _now_, alright? If you're going to grow up to be a man that's respected, you need to start being respectable now."

He opened his mouth to ask a question, but a bowl of ramen was placed in front of him. His eyes widened in excitement and he snatched up his chopsticks. The question was forgotten in favor of noodles and broth. The kunoichi grinned to herself and sat up straight when her own bowl of food was ready.

Naruto was too young to know what being Hokage meant, but she would do what she could to help him. Whether he would continue to chase after that dream once he came to understand what it meant or not was up to him, but she would support him either way.

_I wonder what he'll say when he finally learns who his father was._

"Ne, you went quiet, Sis." He commented before lifting more food to his face.

She blocked his chopsticks with her own, "Eat slower, Naruto-kun. I don't want you choking to death before you're even in the Academy."

"Are you going to go with me to the ceremony?"

"Of course! As long as my Sensei is okay with me taking a day off," she faltered. "I'm sure he should, maybe, possibly, be fine with it."

"Who is your Sensei?" He perked up. "What's it like being a ninja?"

She pulled her hand back so he could continue eating, "Shush and eat. I'm just a Genin now, so it's kinda boring, but that's okay. You have to start somewhere small before you go big, right?"

Naruto tore into his food again.

When they were done eating, she carried him on her back through the streets. It was late in the evening and she felt guilty about keeping him out as late as she did, but figured it was alright. For his birthday, Minato and Kushina would understand. Even with the incident earlier, the boy was happier than she had ever seen him.

Naruto handed his key to her after they reached his door and she stepped in. His eyes settled on a couple presents on the floor and he jumped off her back.

"No way! More presents?" He leaped at them.

She laughed and blocked his path, "Hold on. Wait until I tell you who they're from."

"Okay, but hurry!"

"Sit down and be polite."

He sat down cross legged and waited. She could feel the anticipation wafting off him, but took her time as she slid the bags off her arms. They were filled with clothes and toys that he wanted from their shopping trip earlier that day. Arashi knew he would need something nice to wear to the ceremony instead of clothing that was either too big or too small and obviously overly worn, so some of it was formal.

Normally, she would not have let someone pick out their own presents, but she was lost when it came to toys. Kazika was younger than Naruto and their interests were different. When Arashi was his age, she was obsessed with anything medical and anything that involved sealing jutsu, but she had a hunch he was not going to be the same kind of ninja she was. Therefore, she let him pick out his gifts.

"Alright," she pushed one toward him, "This one is from my family. That's me, my mother Naomi, my father Ookami, and my little brother Kazika."

He looked at the present for a moment in reverence before he ripped into it. Inside was a pouch along with a set of kunai. His mouth dropped open and he jumped to his feet with an expression of bliss on his face.

"My own ninja tools!"

He started to reach for one of the blades, but she stopped him.

"Okay, this is where it gets serious. Listen to everything I say about this stuff because it really matters."

He nodded and focused all of his attention on her.

"All of these kunai are blunted." She picked one up and ran a finger along the blade. "But they can still hurt and possibly kill people. You are not to use any of them unless you are training with me or with your Sensei at the Academy, got it?"

"Got it!"

"Here, hold one."

He picked one up and poked at it to see how dull it was, "This is the best present ever!"

"Naruto-kun, even if someone's being mean to you, do not use any of these against them unless you're afraid they're going to kill you, okay?"

He nodded, seriously. He held the kunai against his chest and squatted down to look through the pouch.

"Just remember, even when I was putting that shopkeeper in his place, I didn't use a weapon against him or any jutsu. You're about to be a ninja in training and as ninja we're to protect and help the people in this village. I know not all of them are very nice, but you'll meet people who are going to be your friends and it'll all be worth everything just to keep them safe."

He smiled wistfully, "How many friends do you think I'll make in the Academy?"

"It doesn't matter how many you make as long as they're good ones." She looked toward the other presents, "Don't you want to find out what else you have?"

The boy's eyes lit up again, "Yeah!"

"This one's from me."

He opened it to find a medical kit inside. She pointed out and named all of the different items and told him how to use them if she was not around to help him.

The rest of the presents were geared toward the Academy. Paper, pencils, books, and several different things he would find useful.

She looked at the time and stood, "Alright, let's get this mess cleaned up. It's past your bedtime."

He helped her clean the area up. She knew he would let his apartment slip and turn into a mess on occasion, but with her help he had been doing better about housekeeping. It was natural for a kid to slack when it came to something tedious like cleaning, but she wanted him to have good ethics. It was just hard to instill when she was busy and not around as much as she wanted to be.

"Ne, hey, Sis?"

She stopped what she was doing and looked over at him, "Yeah?"

"Will you stay the night with me? It _is_ my birthday, you know," he looked at his feet.

Arashi chewed on her lip. Her mother and father expected her home and she knew they would worry if she did not come back without letting them know where she was. There was no way for her to inform them if she did not go home and then return, but it was already time for the boy to get in bed. He wanted her company – he did not have anyone else in his life. She sighed.

They would live.

"Sure. Now, get in the shower."

The boy ran to the bathroom with a cheer, "Yeahh!"

Arashi put the clothing away and made sure the bed was ready. After she looked around the apartment and checked inside the refrigerator for any expired food, she sat down and removed her boots. Her normal shorts and shirt were close enough to pajamas to be comfortable to sleep in.

When Naruto was done showering, he leaped into bed with her and snuggled into her side. She ran her fingers through his hair and stared up at the ceiling.

"Thanks, Sis." He murmured.

"It's no problem, Naruto-kun. Happy Birthday."

* * *

><p><strong>Focus<strong>

Ibiki burned a hole through her face with his beady eyes, "How far away are they now? Focus."

Arashi looked down on the village from their perch on the Hokage Monument. They were seated on Hiruzen's head while Akio and Daisuke traveled through the village. She closed her eyes and focused. She could feel them, but she was not sure where their exact location was.

"Um, Akio is in that direction," she pointed left, "And Daisuke is a little farther this way," she pointed east of the Aburame's location. "They're both moving, but I'm not sure how far they are."

He nodded and unmuted his microphone, "Report your location."

"Three kilometers away at the Yakiniku restaurant." Akio's voice reverberated in her ear.

"Yamanaka Flower Shop." Daisuke responded once it was quiet. "I really have no idea how many kilometers."

Arashi nodded, "Okay."

"Mute your microphones and get moving again." Ibiki ordered them and muted his own.

"I'll get this down, Sensei. I'm starting to get it, but the distances are a bit hard to gauge." She played with the hem of her shirt. "Thanks for helping me train."

"Don't fidget like that. It makes me think you're about to ask me something."

"Well," She laughed, nervously.

"Spit it out."

"Can I have a day off?" she blurted it out. "I wanted to go to the Academy Enrollment Ceremony for Naruto-kun. It means a lot to us."

He smirked, "Is that so?"

"Yeah."

"Well, a day off sounds nice." He commented. "We'll use it as a rest day."

If she was not terrified of him, she would have hugged him, "Thank you, Sensei!"

"Yeah, yeah, now focus on your training."

"Uh, right."

She turned away and faced the village again. The rest of her day was going to be this, but that was alright. Naruto was going to be very happy.

* * *

><p><strong>Enrollment<strong>

The day of the Ceremony came and Arashi fussed over Naruto the entire morning. He was no longer wearing his orange clothing, but was instead wearing something formal. His blond hair was not as wild as it normally was, thanks to generous amounts of gel and running a come through the mess. His face was clean, his teeth were brushed, and there was not a speck of dirt on him. Even the goggles were staying behind for this event.

"Sis, can we go already?" He whined.

"No whining through the ceremony." She pinched his cheek. "You have to behave and act mature, alright?"

"Yeah, I got it." He muttered and rubbed his cheek.

Arashi made sure they were both ready one last time and then they left. Once they were on the street, she took his hand in her own. He tried to pull away, but he could not get loose.

"Sis, your hand is like the maw of death!" He whined. "I'm not a baby; I can walk on my own. I'm in the Academy now, you know!"

She huffed and let him go, "Well, stay by my side and don't run off. I requested the day off so I could be with you."

He scratched his cheek in embarrassment, "Thanks."

She placed a hand on his shoulder and steered him toward the Academy, "You're not going to get along with everyone, and there will probably be people who are better at stuff than you are, but use them to gauge yourself. Always try to do your best in everything, but don't worry too much if you're not great at certain things."

"Sis, you sound like an old woman, you know."

She glowered down at him, "I'm a delicate flower, thank you very much."

* * *

><p>When they reached the Academy one of the Chuunin ushered Naruto to stand with the other children who were enrolled. Arashi spotted Sasuke right away and waved. The Uchiha boy's eyebrows rose, but he grinned back at her. She did not feel Itachi's signature, but she did feel Fugaku's.<p>

She recognized several of the children as the offspring of clan leaders and that piqued her interest.

_Do they all have a pact for when they're going to have kids or something?_

Arashi filed in among the parents and approached Fugaku. She stopped by his side and offered him a friendly smile. He nodded in greeting, as stern as he always was. In all honesty, she was almost surprised to see him there. He worked as much, if not more than her father – she had come to terms with Ookami being a workaholic years ago, but she noticed when other people shared that addiction.

"Is Itachi-kun on a mission?" She whispered.

"Yes." He replied and his attention settled on her.

"Ah, yeah. Not much else would make him miss something like this. He really loves his little brother. I'm sure you're very proud of both of them."

She actually was _not_ sure of that, but she hoped he was.

Fugaku crossed his arms, "I saw you with Naruto, so I assume you're here for him?"

"Yeah, I've been looking after Naruto-kun."

"I see." His expression softened just a little, but he still retained a distant vibe, "That is very kind of you. It must be hard to divide your time so much between your training and a child."

It was not often that the man spoke to her this much, but it made her feel bubbly and nervous at the same time – even if there was still a hint of haughtiness to his words.

"I'm determined, but it does get to be exhausting. Going between Ibiki Sensei, to medical jutsu on patients, to chasing after Naruto-kun has its perks, though."

He arched one eyebrow at her, as if he was asking her to clarify.

"I fall asleep as soon as my face touches my pillow. Usually, anyway."

She grinned at him and he snorted. He turned a little more toward her, and her back stiffened in anticipation.

_Oh my, he's actually going to have a full conversation with me._

Just as he was about to speak, something caught his attention. He turned away and looked toward the children. She followed his gaze and her stomach dropped.

Naruto and Sasuke were in the middle of a glaring contest.

Fugaku's expression soured. As soon as his son noticed, he stopped throwing nasty looks at the Uzumaki and stared forward. Naruto noticed Arashi mouth "STOP" and he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

_Great. Friends: zero. Enemies: Itachi's little brother. Good job, Naruto-kun. Good job._

Arashi lamented. Fugaku was no longer in the mood to talk to her anymore and her chance to get to know her oldest friend's father better had passed. The only thing she did realize from their short banter was that Itachi had, in fact, taken after his father in looks, whereas Sasuke was a male version of Mikoto. For some reason she had never noticed that before.

She shook her head and focused on the ceremony.

This was the first step for Naruto's career as a ninja. It brought back memories of her own experience and how proud her parents had been of her.

_I hope Naruto makes some friends soon. It'll help him out a lot when I'm busy._

Fugaku casually broke her out of her thoughts, "I received an interesting report about a Kunoichi of your description man handling a shopkeeper a while back."

She spluttered, "What? Me? Man handling someone?" She pointed at her arm, "I'm like, skin and bone. How could I bully a grown man?"

He looked down at her and the corner of his mouth tugged into a smirk, "I thought the same thing."

Her mouth fell open and she was not sure whether she should be offended or amused.

* * *

><p>Alright, that's it for tonight. If you have any suggestions, opinions, criticisms, or anything you'd like to say then share it in a review – I'm open to any sort of feedback and it's all appreciated! ^-^<p>

Next chapter will have Itachi interaction and Arashi's first C rank mission! Finally, she'll start doing ninja stuff. hahah


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